The other half of the garden has a 2 or 3 year head start, and looks & acts like soil now.
I had a good weekly source of chemical free grass clippings from a motel, but that dried up early last year...but we make do with our 300 acres of pine cones, not even counting the 1,000+ acres of government cones adjoining.
The occasional revenooer, Mormon missionary, and Jehovah's Witness helps out the compost situation, too. (Shhh!)
Here is a recipe recommended by my daughter in Richmond, VA:
Tomato Pie
(adapted from Richmond Times-Dispatch 8/13/08)
1 9-inch pie crust, thawed if frozen
3-4 large ripe tomatoes (or more, if needed)
salt, pepper and fresh basil to taste
2 cups grated cheese (Cheddar or any combination)
½ cup mayonnaise (light is OK)
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Bake pie crust for 5-7 minutes, then remove from oven. Reduce heat to 400 degrees.
Slice tomatoes, and if they are juicy, press them to drain in a colander or blot on paper towels (about an hour). Place the tomatoes in the pie shell in layers. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and basil.
Mix mayonnaise and grated cheese in a medium bowl. Spread over tomatoes.
Bake pie for 30-35 minutes.
NOTE: You can use any cheese – choose your favorite!
I REALLY like white sharp cheddar for this pie, which is a little harder to find, but worth the effort. Try sprinkling ¼ to ½ cup parmesan or grated cheese in between the layers of tomatoes in the pie. Dried basil isn’t as fragrant as fresh, but is still OK, and I also use fresh minced oregano and rosemary. Experiment with adding minced garlic or garlic powder to the tomatoes or the crust. If you want a little more flavor, adding bacon bits or diced ham is also good in the pie. It is a very flexible recipe! Enjoy!
6-8 servings
I’m going to try this tomorrow with my bumper crop of tomatoes.
How do you harvest the pine cones and I have read that meat byproducts other than revenooers are a no-no in a compost pile?